Brian Flores Interested in Newly Available Star Free Agent

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Christian Wilkins
Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

There was a time that the Minnesota Vikings interior defensive line left plenty to be desired. This is very much not that time. In fact, they have recently been ranked as the best front seven in the NFL. That doesn’t mean you can’t have more of a good thing.

The Las Vegas Raiders released Christian Wilkins and voided more than $35 million still left on his contract. He signed a four-year deal with the team prior to the 2024 season, and the Minnesota Vikings had tried to land his services as well.

Now back on the open market, and as a former member of the Brian Flores coached Miami Dolphins, the Vikings defensive coordinator wouldn’t turn down a reunion.

Christian Wilkins would be welcomed by Minnesota Vikings

The Miami Dolphins selected Christian Wilkins with the 13th overall pick during the 2019 NFL Draft. Brian Flores was his head coach from 2019 through 2022. He’s now one of the best defensive coordinators in the league, and he’d be open to his former lineman joining his new team.

Of course Flores isn’t the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to the roster. Head coach Kevin O’Connell probably gets the ear of general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah a bit more. That doesn’t mean a top assistant can’t speak into a desired opportunity.

Wilkins has 86 games (82 starts) at the NFL level under his belt. He has already amassed 22.5 sacks and has a whopping 45 tackles for loss in just six seasons as a pro. While Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave are nice additions, Wilkins would take the group to a new level.

The Vikings still have cap space to utilize, and while they have a presumed hole at the cornerback position, they could opt to rekindle contract talks. Wilkins was on their radar just last summer, and now he’s available once again.

Narrative gets interesting for Christian Wilkins

There has been plenty of discussion surrounding the abrupt release of Christian Wilkins. He had a foot injury last seasons and Adam Schefter reported that was at the center of the Raiders decision to release him. That is definitely not what the story was on Pat McAfee’s show Monday morning.

“From speaking with people inside the locker room, I think what everybody is dancing around and tip-toeing around, is the fact that when you speak to people there, inside the locker room, they say that Christian [Wilkins] playfully went to kiss a teammate on top of his head. Those same people said that that player took offense to it. So that’s what everybody has been dancing around and tap dancing around. An incident in the locker room where he, allegedly, playfully, kissed a teammate on top of his head. That teammate felt offended by it.”

Adam Schefter – The McAfee Show

Listen, I can get behind that sort of behavior from Wilkins being weird. If that’s enough to release a star player with buckoo bucks left on a $110 million contract though, I’d like to take a pause. That doesn’t seem logical, and NFL insider Mike Florio threw out that’s certainly not what he has heard either.

At the end of the day we have no idea what to believe as truth. What is reality is that Wilkins is a free agent on the open market and he’s looking for a new home. If the Vikings were to go from their former rag tag collection to an interior that includes Allen, Hargrave, Harrison Phillips, and Wilkins, it would be a laughable embarrassment of riches.

Maybe the Minnesota Vikings still need a cornerback. If they’re going to swallow up the running game and crush opposing quarterbacks on every play though, maybe they don’t?

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